Exploring the cognitive structure of aircraft passengers' emotions in relation to their comfort experience

Abstract

Emotion descriptions were elicited from participants' written accounts of their comfort experience and grouped according to the emotion model by Ortony; Clore; and Collins (OCC). The cognitive structure and specific appraisal patterns of passengers were explored on three levels of passenger's concerns (goals; standards; and aspects); their focus during the flight (including the mediating cabin elements) and the resulting emotions. Four emotion groups were highlighted as relevant to flight comfort. Wellbeing (e.g.; joy; distress) emotions were the most frequently mentioned group by participants when focused on the consequences of interaction with cabin features such as seat; IFE and service; pertaining to participants' personal goals (e.g.; security; calmness). The cognitive underpinning of prospect-based (e.g.; satisfied) emotions included similar goals except that participants evaluated the consequences of their interaction with the seat; legroom; IFE and service relevant to their expectations and anticipations. The emotions in wellbeing/attribution compound group were elicited upon evaluating the consequences of the actions of agents (e.g.; service; neighbors). Thus emotions anger and gratitude emerged when those actions yielded pleasing or unpleasing consequences for participants. Attraction (e.g.; liking) emotions were generated once passengers developed liking or disliking for certain aspects (e.g.; aesthetics; physical fitting) of the seat and legroom. Subsequently; a model of cognitive structure of passengers' emotions was constructed for the flight context highlighting the seat and services as the central (most frequently regarded) features to passengers' emotional experiences. The proposed model enables designers to recognize the types of experiences that should be delivered to ensure that passengers feel comfortable